Yes

Not yet

No

Undecided

Lets open this up a bit. Why pick on Dyess? Look a little closer. In this set of back to backs just concluded, its Dyess who got more minutes vs. Mohammed. Its Mohammed in danger of losing his minutes. Its Mohammed who has been steadily losing his minutes of late. Dyess continues to play the usual 20 minute average. Dyess played 27 last night, so he was due an off night. Those knees of his will only give us so much so fast. Dyess has given us a whole lot of fine games in the past. Mohammed has yet to give us one. Should Maxiell start is the question I would say yes to.

I would like to say yes. Yes Maxiel is going to get more time than Dyess. Who knows after last nights game he may. I doubt it though. McDyess is still an untouchable I am sure.

6th Starter you know, he can do no wrong.

On Mohammed, he is not going to get benched after the team just commited a 30mil contract to him. If he is deemed a dissapointment then if anything he will continue to start to keep his trade value up there.

I'm surprised to see Flip trim back Tay's minutes given his comments that it's ok for a young fella to play 40+ during last season. Mind you, Tay has not played well of late, but you hope that Delfino can seize the opportunity because Tay is Joe's first successful pick and all GMs fall in love with guys like that.

I would like to see every guy that suits up gets to see some action. When a team gets in the penalty and you know that fouls are going to stop the game get a guy in there even if it’s just until the next foul. Mix it up a little so a team has to scout everyone not just the same 7 or 8 guys.

Lee, are you familiar with the "hiding Amir" theory we toss around here? It basically goes that Amir is an amazing talent (see 18 points in 18 minutes game last season) but Joe doesn't want to show him off too much because a bidding war could hurt our ability to add free agents next summer should any of Murray/Dice/Dupree leave and Davis retires.

I'm not saying that is the best way to handle AJ, but if Joe wants him here long term and still keep the team competitive, some sacrifices have to be made or we could end up in another Mehmet Okur scenario.

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If Joe is that petty, find a new GM. We got a chance to win it all this season. No way a GM should mess with that, and no way I belive for a second Joe is thinking that way.

JMax gobbles up a large chink of Dyess' minutes. McDyess is moving in slow motion, his knees are going and he's trying to play himself into game shape.

Flip will fall to his own comments in which he said the best players will play. This statement equates to JMax playing significant minutes each and every game as long as he gives consistent effort.

Joe will have plenty to say if Rasheed comes back and we fall back into that same lame rotation with no Dale and No JMax.

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Flip also flat out said JMAX would not be getting 32 minutes per game, which of course is a direct contradiction to saying that the way players play dictate their minutes.

Also, on the subject of minutes, its funny how the younger players have to earn minutes, while Flip Murray will be "given" minutes, lots of minutes, to try to pull his self out of a slump.--Me, I say Flip Murray is in no slump. What Flip Murray has shown of late is typical Flip Murray. It seems on occasion this season that Flip Murray is managing to suppress his great urge to call his own number--but it always turns out just to be a temporary suppression and its back to being Flip Murray.

With that said, here is how I think the minutes should go. No Flip Murray. No Mohammed. That takes out our two weak links on defense, and it takes out the two guys who fit the least in an offensive scheme where teamwork is front and center.

Our starters should become Billups, Rip, Tay, Maxiell, and Sheed, with each getting 32 minutes.

Our bench should be Blalock, Delfino, Amir Johnson, Dyess, Dale Davis, with each getting 16 minutes. Remember, Dale is getting old. Although he can temporarily play more, that should be saved for the playoffs.

The entire game would feature us going into the post. Mostly JMAX for the 1st unit, and then Amir Johnson for the 2nd unit.

All good points here, but I can't see trying to fix something that isn't broken.
As long as CB and Rip are carrying the Off. load our front line will SEEM weak. CB has to trust Nazz more. On Off. Nazz is efficient. JMax requires special attention [due to his size] when he gets in, he should get more of Tays minutes.
The good news is the bench is playing more and as a 4+1 unit.!
I'm totally against trading any of these guys, and that includes F.M.

I think that JMax is making it obvious that earning playing time on the Pistons pretty much means that you have to be the best player and do it several times in a row. No mistakes, no missed-shots, no bad calls against you, etc.

Bargnani, Melo, Nowitski, Howard... these guys would have all whithered with the Pistons as rookies with little or no PT. They would have had to pay their dues and learn to be post players from Sheed (who posts up about as often as Chauncey). Most of them would have gone ballistic and probably demanded a trade.

Maxiell is doing and saying everything just right. Joe correctly assessed this kid's game and character. Now, he needs to make sure that Flip doesn't ruin it.

The good news is the bench is playing more and as a 4+1 unit.!
I'm totally against trading any of these guys, and that includes F.M.

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All it takes is opening up the energy level. The bench has to learn comfort levels with the starters and as I mentioned before, some of them should start to accelerate this process. Flip need not shy away from bruising some of the many huge egos on the team.

It would be a huge mistake for JD to trade DD. He is very valuable insurance to have in the long haul and plus, he is playing excellent ball. If he can bring close to a double-double in 20 minutes, then everyone wins. JMax and DD keep everyone honest in the paint.

Prince needs to sit on the bench , which frees up JMax. DD can rotate with Sheed, Naz and McDyess with Sheed getting the most minutes.

Interchangeable parts are nice but I perfer to dance with who brought me. Stability must mean something to these guys.

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They have had years of stability and now it is catching up to them. They are leaderless and barely have the edge at home games. The talent is the same, the desire and mental framework are too inconsistent. Flip is not like LB, with the latter putting them on trial working through the media. Flip's method should be to rotate the players, and we should be seeing more of this as evident from JMax and further substitution patterns.

The pistons are the deepest team in the East. Correct me if I am mistaken, but did not the majority of the forum members want an increase in bench playing this year? Certainly JD stressed this, and then you have Sheed going lame (?), which I hope is only the beginning of finding good working combinations. You might recall that I had mentioned that December should be the start of these substitution patterns and continuing through Jan. I hope it not only continues, but increases.